Summer reading survival tips for dyslexics

But….I’ve got way too many books to read this summer, and not enough time. And I’m starting to freak out about it. Like many dyslexics, reading is something I dearly want to do — but find very tiring. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always a pleasure to read on vacation.

Given that, I started looking for advice on how to achieve my summer reading goals. Something more concrete than just “read 5 pages a night” or “read something light.”

Foroux links to an interesting 2015 study by MIT about rewiring the brain, which is worth a look.

My summer reading strategy

I’m using Foroux’s list to prioritize my summer reading. I’m really interested in #1 – Have a purpose. I’m going to choose books that help me overcome a challenge or achieve something. And I’m definitely intrigued by #5 – Immediately apply one piece of knowledge (I’ll let you know how this works out!).

I have divided my pile of books into 3 manageable sections as follows:

1. My first priority is to finish reading Kyo Maclear’s wonderful memoir, Birds Art Life. I have been reading it on and off for a year. It’s relatable to my life right now, and I have much to learn from her experiences. As an added bonus — it’s full of illustrations.

2) Terence Dickinson’s NightWatch is definitely applied reading – I’m taking it to the cottage so we can read it together as a family and be amateur astronomers this summer.

3) I have a huge stack of books about dyslexia and neurodiversity to catch up on. OK, so I need to read all of these for obvious reasons. But that’s an impossible goal, so I will aim to complete two in this stack…if not this summer, than by the end of the year.

Welcome to the Dyslexic Library

A mother and daughter blogging about dyslexia in Ottawa, Canada. Honest book reviews, interviews, resources, and a few rants too. By sharing our journey with dyslexia, we hope to make yours just a little bit easier.